By Eric Ikhilae, Abuja
Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, have suggested ways to prevent the diversion of recovered public assets stolen by public officials.
Gbajabiamila and Malami said the provision of accurate information on recovered assets and proper monitoring were measures capable of ensuring accountability and transparency in the management of such recovered assets as well as deter public officials from diverting them.
They spoke in Abuja last Thursday during the launch of the Central Database under the Asset Tracing, Recovery and Management Regulations (ATRM), 2019 and the Central Criminal Justice Information System (CCLIS) under the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) 2017 -2021, put together by the Federal Ministry of Justice.
Malami said the initiatives were in furtherance of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration commitment to transparency and accountability in the management of state’s resources.
He added that the launch was in line with the government’s commitment to the fight against corruption with reference to the country’s membership of international organisations, including the Financial Action Task Force and the Open Government Partnership, targeted at deepening transparency within this context of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.
The AGF said: “The database that will be put in place will ensure uniformity of process and real time access and information feeding. It is to deepen our transparency and accountability.
“We will, working together, establish and re-enact transparency and accountability in governance and management of our resources which we have committed to do by way of strengthening international cooperation of our membership of Open Government Partnership.
“Accordingly, the Federal Ministry of Justice looks forward to working with the Judiciary at all levels, and Anti-Corruption Institution at both the states and federal levels and the Nigerian Police to run the information centre real time.
“Let me reassure stakeholders that the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice under my watch is working on deploying the technology to every nook and cranny of the federation to enable the relevant stakeholders key into this 21st Century technology in Nigeria which guarantees transparency and ensures there is accountability on the part of public officers,” Malami said.
Gbajabiamila said asset tracing, recovery and management are “a core value of good governance and effective management of this venture will serve as a deterrent to would be fraudulent minded individuals who may find themselves in public offices”.
Represented by the Chairman, House Committee on Justice, Ugonna Ozurigbo, Gbajabiamila said: “State’s resources must not be allowed to be stolen, but if that happened by fraudulent individuals, efforts must be taken to trace the proceeds, recover same and manage for the interest of the generality of the people.
“Remember that ‘a crime is crime’, therefore, when the proceeds of crime are traced and recovered, but again relooted by government officials, I dare to say such act amounts to crime of tertiary capacity and must be avoided.
“Assets not accounted for are assets lost; loss of assets undervalues the economic potential of a country and will negatively impact on the net worth of a country. Accordingly, Asset Tracing Recovery and Management is a panacea to rekindling of the value system of a nation. This special launch is a step in the right direction.”
The launch of the Central Database, it was learnt, was in furtherance of the implementation of the Asset Tracing, Recovery and Management Regulations 2019, signed in last October and took effect from November 1 of the same year.
The 2019 Regulations on Asset Tracing, Recovery and Proper Management of Proceeds of Crime was a modification of the Proceeds of Crime Regulation of 2012.
The 2019 Regulations, among others, empowers the Attorney-General of the Federation to take charge of the custody and management of final forfeited assets, approval and appointment of asset managers and operating and maintaining a database for the records of recovered assets within and outside Nigeria.
The AGF’s office, under the 2019 Regulations, is also required to coordinate inter-agency investigations into recovery matters within and outside the country from all law enforcement agencies, whose law empowers them to undertake recoveries.
The new Regulations also empowers the AGF to maintain a depository for forfeiture orders issued by the courts.
